Cross Hatch

Maruti’s new compact crossover, the Ignis will be launched this month. A similar version, however, is already on sale in the UK. Shapur Kotwal picks up the story.

- Shapur Kotwal

Compact cars are a Maruti specialty. Born of Japanese regulation and years and years of very specific Indian requirement, they are tried, tested loved and respected. But that’s just one part of the equation. Maruti and Suzuki today are also making their cars increasingly appealing. The Baleno for example, leads with its rakish low-slung design. Maruti is also slowly but surely embracing hybrid technology and the duo has also successfully integrated a lot of connectivity into its cars, again bringing affordable tech to the masses.

With the new Ignis, however, Suzuki wants to combine the upright appeal of a compact SUV, the coolness of a semi-retro design, and an interior like no Suzuki before. And with the car potentially having the roominess of a WagonR, this seems to be a pretty compelling product. But just how accomplished is the Ignis?

DIFFERENT, BOTH OUTS IDE AND IN

It looks very different from anything else to begin with; the fresh-looking nose, the square dimensions, the prominent wheel arches and those faux vents at the rear, meant to pay homage to the Giugiaro-designed, rearengined SS100. It’s also seriously compact. Just 3.7m long, 1.69m wide and 1.6m tall, what makes the Ignis look more substantial is its upright stance. The big wheel arches form a wide and stablelooking platform and the visual mass of the car is nicely contained within. Though the car has a rounded and sophisticated nose and a distinctively retro rear, the two have been integrated so well, the design just works. Details that stand out include the vent on the side of the clamshell bonnet, the big kink in the rear window, and of course, the rear. Suzuki has made the rear a touch too boxy, and that may not go down too well with Indian car buyers, but with the rest of the car so good looking, it shouldn’t be an issue.